B6304 - PLANT METABOLISM FOR HUMAN HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Academic Year 2024/2025

  • Moduli: Paolo Bernardo Trost (Modulo 1) Mirko Zaffagnini (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Biology of Human and Environmental Health (cod. 5909)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has acquired knowledge, skills and competences in the field of plant metabolism. The student will be able to reconstruct the general architecture of the central metabolism and the special metabolism of plants, and the connections with the biosynthetic pathways of the main molecules or polymers of interest for human nutrition or health.

Course contents

Central metabolism in plants. Photosynthetic metabolism: Calvin Benson cycle and photorespiration. Biosynthesis of storage carbohydrates and cell wall polysaccharides, and their role in human nutrition. Ascorbate in plants and humans. Respiratory metabolism and its connections with biosynthetic pathawys of amino acids and storage lipids. Specialized metabolism: biosynthesis of nitrogen containing compounds, phenolics and terpenoids with focus on physiologically active metabolites in mammals.

Readings/Bibliography

L. Taiz, E. Zeiger, IM Moeller, A, Murphy, Fundamentals of Plant Physiology, 1st Edition, 2018, Sinauer Associates

Assessment methods

Oral exam

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Bernardo Trost

See the website of Mirko Zaffagnini